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http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/botpdf/BOTM18830212.pdfFebruary 12, 1883. At Indianapolis. Pursuant to a call of President Ratliff the Trustees met on the above day at the Grand Hotel at Indianapolis: present President Ratliff and Trustees Ragan, Peddle and Williams and also Prof. C.R. Barnes of the Faculty. On motion Prof. Barnes was appointed Secretary pro tem. On motion the following Memorial was then unanimously adopted and signed by all present. Hon. A.P. Edgerton, Trustee, telegraphed his acquiescence in the same and authorised [authorized] his name to be signed thereto. [text] Memorial of the Purdue Trustees to the General Assembly To the Honorable the Senate of the General Assembly of Indiana: The undersigned, the Trustees of Purdue University, now in session in this city, being credibly informed and fully believing that numerous statements are being circulated which seriously mirepresent [misrepresent] the action and policy of the Trustees, as well as of the Faculty, and are calculated to mislead the members of the General Assembly and result in serious injury to the University, beg leave to submit to your consideration the following statements of fact, to wit: 1. The existing regulations of the Trustees for the government of Purdue University are believed to be in full harmony with the late decision of the Supreme Court, the regulations relating to students’ societies having been modified to this end by the Faculty in September last, and unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees at a regular session held in December following. 2. No student has ever been suspended or expelled from Purdue University because of his connection with a Greek fraternity or other college or students’ secret society, nor has any student been required to discontinue his membership in any such society as a condition of remaining in the Institution. 3. No applicant has ever been refused admission to the University because of his connection with a Greek fraternity or other college or students’ society, nor has any applicant been required to relinquish his membership in such society as a condition of admission. 4. No applicant or student has ever been questioned concerning, or in any way discriminated against, on account of his connection with any secret society or secret order, not connected with colleges, and no inquiry has ever been made respecting the connection of any applicant or student with any such outside secret society or order. 5. If a student while a student, and as such under the control of and subject to the authority of the University, should join a Greek fraternity or other college secret society, or should attend the meetings of such society or otherwise have active connection therewith, such action on the part of a student would be a violation of a regulation of the University, and for such violation of college law he would be subject to discipline, but, as a matter of fact, no such discipline has occurred in the history of the institution. All students who have been suspended or expelled from Purdue University (and the number is comparatively small) have been disciplined for other good and sufficient reasons, as the records of the Faculty will clearly show. The assertion or intimation, that the reasons assigned by the Faculty for a student’s discipline, have in any case been a pretext, the real cause being his fraternity connection, is not only a serious but an unjust imputation on the honor of a worthy body of college officers—gentlemen and ladies of too high character and standing to be thus impugned. 6. The past action and policy of the authorities of Purdue University respecting the organization of Purdue University respecting the organization of students’ societies in the institution and the connection of students therewith, are expressed in the present regulations, a copy of which is hereunto attached. (See Exhibit A.) These regulations have been adopted and enforced with the belief that they are necessary to the highest success of Purdue University as an agricultural and mechanical college, as stated in the citations from the report of the University for 1881, hereunto attached (See Exhibit B.)7. It is the belief of the Trustees that a reopening of this fraternity issue in Purdue University, at the present time, would seriously jeopardize the prosperity of the institution, since it would involve the necessary authority of the Trustees and Faculty in matters of government and

http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/botpdf/BOTM18830212.pdfFebruary 12, 1883. At Indianapolis. Pursuant to a call of President Ratliff the Trustees met on the above day at the Grand Hotel at Indianapolis: present President Ratliff and Trustees Ragan, Peddle and Williams and also Prof. C.R. Barnes of the Faculty. On motion Prof. Barnes was appointed Secretary pro tem. On motion the following Memorial was then unanimously adopted and signed by all present. Hon. A.P. Edgerton, Trustee, telegraphed his acquiescence in the same and authorised [authorized] his name to be signed thereto. [text] Memorial of the Purdue Trustees to the General Assembly To the Honorable the Senate of the General Assembly of Indiana: The undersigned, the Trustees of Purdue University, now in session in this city, being credibly informed and fully believing that numerous statements are being circulated which seriously mirepresent [misrepresent] the action and policy of the Trustees, as well as of the Faculty, and are calculated to mislead the members of the General Assembly and result in serious injury to the University, beg leave to submit to your consideration the following statements of fact, to wit: 1. The existing regulations of the Trustees for the government of Purdue University are believed to be in full harmony with the late decision of the Supreme Court, the regulations relating to students’ societies having been modified to this end by the Faculty in September last, and unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees at a regular session held in December following. 2. No student has ever been suspended or expelled from Purdue University because of his connection with a Greek fraternity or other college or students’ secret society, nor has any student been required to discontinue his membership in any such society as a condition of remaining in the Institution. 3. No applicant has ever been refused admission to the University because of his connection with a Greek fraternity or other college or students’ society, nor has any applicant been required to relinquish his membership in such society as a condition of admission. 4. No applicant or student has ever been questioned concerning, or in any way discriminated against, on account of his connection with any secret society or secret order, not connected with colleges, and no inquiry has ever been made respecting the connection of any applicant or student with any such outside secret society or order. 5. If a student while a student, and as such under the control of and subject to the authority of the University, should join a Greek fraternity or other college secret society, or should attend the meetings of such society or otherwise have active connection therewith, such action on the part of a student would be a violation of a regulation of the University, and for such violation of college law he would be subject to discipline, but, as a matter of fact, no such discipline has occurred in the history of the institution. All students who have been suspended or expelled from Purdue University (and the number is comparatively small) have been disciplined for other good and sufficient reasons, as the records of the Faculty will clearly show. The assertion or intimation, that the reasons assigned by the Faculty for a student’s discipline, have in any case been a pretext, the real cause being his fraternity connection, is not only a serious but an unjust imputation on the honor of a worthy body of college officers—gentlemen and ladies of too high character and standing to be thus impugned. 6. The past action and policy of the authorities of Purdue University respecting the organization of Purdue University respecting the organization of students’ societies in the institution and the connection of students therewith, are expressed in the present regulations, a copy of which is hereunto attached. (See Exhibit A.) These regulations have been adopted and enforced with the belief that they are necessary to the highest success of Purdue University as an agricultural and mechanical college, as stated in the citations from the report of the University for 1881, hereunto attached (See Exhibit B.)7. It is the belief of the Trustees that a reopening of this fraternity issue in Purdue University, at the present time, would seriously jeopardize the prosperity of the institution, since it would involve the necessary authority of the Trustees and Faculty in matters of government and